Alpaca guinea pig is one of the most popular pets among rodents. What are the features of a furry animal? How to care for him and what conditions should be followed? Read more about this in our article.
general characteristics
Before purchasing alpaca as a pet, it is important to familiarize yourself with all the characteristics of the animal.
Alpaca guinea pig got its name due to its long hair, which in its softness and smoothness resembles the coat of artiodactyl alpaca llamas. By their biological nature, these rodents are not natural. Alpaca is a hybrid specially developed by American scientists.
In its dimensions, a guinea pig can reach a length of no more than 20 centimeters, and can weigh about 1 kilogram. However, these indicators are more relevant to males, and females of the species are usually smaller and lighter.
Special attention is given to the very wool of alpaca guinea pigs.
In itself, it is quite fluffy and thick, reaching a length of 12 centimeters. Moreover, the whole body, including the head, is covered with wool (here the real bangs grow in the alpaca).
As for the coloring of the animal, it can be very diverse (often multi-colored, rather than monophonic). So, quite often there are options for combining white and black, red, etc.
Alpaca's life span varies between 5–8 years. Most often, it is located on the lower boundary of this range, however, if the animal is healthy and proper care is taken, then it is possible to extend life for several additional years.
How to care?
It is immediately worth noting that alpaca guinea pigs require quite careful and specific care. That is why everything should be carefully considered and analyzed before starting such a fluffy rodent at home.
Obviously, special care requires the main distinguishing feature of the animal - wool. It must be combed out regularly and in no case should tangles and the formation of various warlocks be allowed.
In addition, the alpaca itself should be regularly bathed in warm water. This must be done very carefully.
Another important factor is the temperature regime. In order for the mumps to feel good and able to calmly carry out their life activities, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature regime. So, the thermometer should not drop lower than 20 degrees Celsius and rise above 24 degrees. In addition, drafts and sharp temperature jumps should be avoided. In the case of non-compliance with the necessary conditions, the occurrence of negative consequences in the form of hypothermia or heat stroke in a pig is quite likely.
It is important to remember that fluffy rodents do not like noise and din, they prefer to live in calm and quiet conditions.
Therefore, if you live on the ground floor and your windows overlook the freeway or your house is full of children, then you should not start such an animal. In addition, it is necessary to constantly release alpaca from the cage so that it has the opportunity to walk and run through large areas. The fact is that the rodent’s fixed lifestyle can cause his obesity. Alpacas are those animals that are very prone to such a disease.
Alpaca guinea pig is an animal that for the most part leads an inactive lifestyle, so special attention should be paid to nutrition. As food, you can use special complexes that can be purchased in almost every zoological store. Usually they are saturated with all the useful vitamins and minerals necessary for the full functioning of the rodent. In addition, fruits (in particular apples and bananas) can be added to the diet of a furry pet.
You can feed several times a day. Moreover, at the moment when you put a new portion of food, the bowl must be cleaned of the remnants of the old.
Also carefully monitor the amount of water in the drinker.
Failure to comply with the rules and diet can lead to various diseases. At the first manifestations of the disease, you should consult a veterinarian.
Alpaca cage
Generally speaking, alpaca needs to be kept in a cage. However, this cage should be large and spacious. The optimal cell size is considered to be dimensions of 50 centimeters by 70 centimeters. Thanks to this area, the animal will be able to move freely around its home and feel a certain amount of space.
It is not recommended to keep several animals in the same cage, since aggressive fights for the division of the territory can occur between them.
The bottom of the cell must be covered with dry grass, which should be replaced regularly.
In the warm season - in spring and summer - you can use fresh grass, however, you must first disinfect it (this can be done with boiling water) so that the animal does not catch diseases or become infected with pests.
In addition, the cell itself should not be empty. It needs to be filled with a variety of additional elements and objects for entertainment, toys. For example, you can put a running wheel or a house.
Choose a cage made of durable material (it is best to give preference to metal or wood). Thus, the animal will not be able to break its home, and it will last a fairly long period.
Breeding
The ability to reproduce in alpacas appears from the second month of life. However, in order to obtain a viable and healthy offspring, rodents should not be crossed so early. A more optimal option would be crossing at least 4 months.
During pregnancy, females can be very aggressive and bite, so at this time they can rush at the person, and therefore should be very careful (especially children).
The period of pregnancy for fluffy pets lasts about 2 months, and at one time they can give birth to 2 or 3 babies (this amount is typical in the first pregnancy, in subsequent times the number of babies can increase to 8).
Reviews
According to reviews by alpaca owners, these animals are a great option for a pet. They are very friendly and quickly make contact with a person. In addition, they are smart enough. However, the fact that pigs may make noise at night should also be taken into account.. As mentioned above, they need careful care, so before you start the animal, soberly assess your strength, because if the rules are not followed, the animal can get very sick or even die.
On how to properly care for a guinea pig, see further.
